Known in the art are coupler structures for attaching various accessories to the front or back of a vehicle and, more particularly, a motorized vehicle. Most front couplers provide a three-point connection which as a consequence makes it difficult to mount an accessory thereon. Indeed, in order to attach an accessory on a three-point connecting coupler, the user must usually simultaneously align all three connecting points with corresponding connecting points of the accessory in order to attach the accessory onto the coupler.
Known to the applicant is U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,085, which teaches a front coupler for a tractor. The coupler has a pair of vertical plates 50 and 60, each having at their upper end a slot 60 for receiving corresponding pins 66 of the implement 14, as well as lower spring loaded pins 64 adapted to fit with openings provided in the vertical mounting plate 68 of the implement 14. In order to attach the implement to the coupler 12, the slots 60 are seated beneath the pins 66 of the implement 14 and the lower portion of the coupler 12 is then rotated forwardly about the pins 66 to snap the spring loaded pins 64 into corresponding openings provided by the implement 14. Thus, the coupler must be moved around the implement 14, which requires the coupler to be articulated accordingly. Thus, in order to mount the implement 14 onto the coupler 12, an operator is required to position the implement 14, to move the coupler 12 to position the slots 60 beneath the pins 66 and to rotate the coupler into position, which include elaborate and awkward steps. Moreover, the coupler must be articulated so as to be movable when mounted on the vehicle (rotation about pins 66, etc.). Furthermore, the implement 14 requires spring loaded pins 64. Without such spring loaded pins 64, the coupling will require an additional step of aligning the implement with respect to the coupler in order to lock it in place.
Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improved coupler which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.